


no matter how hard it gets (i'll be here for you)

by SilverMoonSky



Series: Adrinette April 2020 [11]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette April 2020, Cute, Dorks in Love, F/M, Fluff, I say this all the time but I love them so much, Post-Reveal Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Short & Sweet, Some angst, these two are just made for each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:14:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23691448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverMoonSky/pseuds/SilverMoonSky
Summary: Adrien's feeling a bit down, so Marinette goes over to check on him, getting a piano lesson from him in the process.Written for Day 12: Piano Lessons for Adrinette April.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Adrinette April 2020 [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1685854
Comments: 4
Kudos: 142





	no matter how hard it gets (i'll be here for you)

**Author's Note:**

> This is a little late, but oh well. Hope you enjoy! :)

Marinette could sense something was wrong the moment Adrien turned up at school. There had been bags under his eyes, he was wearing his model smile, and not a single bad pun came out of his mouth for the entirety of the day. It was a shock to see him so downcast; he was foolish if he thought she didn’t pick up on it. No matter how many times he simply brushed it off with “I’m fine”, Marinette couldn’t bring herself to believe that.

“I’m worried about him, Tikki,” Marinette said as she paced her bedroom. “He wasn’t himself at school  _ at all _ ! And it hasn’t been long since the whole Hawk Moth ordeal, so if he’s not opening up about something. . . .”

“Maybe you should talk to him,” Tikki said.

“I tried calling and texting, but he didn’t answer.” She sighed.

“Why don’t you try going over to his house? He’s probably still awake.” Tikki curled up on her chosen’s shoulder. “Don’t worry too much, Marinette! I’m sure Adrien’s fine.”

“I know, but. . . .” She glanced over at her phone for what seemed like the hundredth time today. Still no new messages. It wasn’t like Adrien to be this quiet. “You know what? That’s probably a good idea.”

Marinette handed her kwami some cookies she could snack on before transforming. When Tikki was done, she called out, “Tikki, spots on!”

Ladybug pushed herself up to the balcony and swung across rooftops towards the Agreste mansion. The entire time she couldn’t help but worry. Adrien obviously was distraught about something--he had been a lot lately, ever since they discovered Hawk Moth was none other than Gabriel Agreste. He was dealing with not only the press, the tabloids, and several lawyers, but was also facing pressure from the side of him that was Chat Noir. The identity that was supposed to be Adrien’s outlet suddenly wasn’t. Everything had hit him as a shock. Gabriel was Hawk Moth, Nathalie was Mayura, his mother didn’t actually disappear. . . .

Everything Adrien had known, everything he grew up with, had been a lie. Marinette was trying her best to be there for him, she really was. Yet it was hard. It was incredibly hard, because in reality, she had absolutely no idea what he was going through. It just  _ sucked _ .

Ladybug landed on the windowsill to Adrien’s window. She paused. Peering inside, she saw Adrien sitting at his piano, his fingers floating delicately over the keys. A soothing melody filled her ears, tranquil and serene. If she didn’t know any better, she would think her boyfriend was in a joyous mood. However, it was clear from the expression on Adrien’s face that his mind was elsewhere.

She rapped lightly on the window. Adrien looked up. He stopped playing and walked over to where she was standing.

“Hey kitty,” she said once he’d opened the window. She dropped onto the floor and immediately released her transformation.

“Hey princess.” He smiled after her before walking back to the piano. “Why’re you here?”

She shrugged. “Just wanted to see you, I guess.”

He waved for her to come to where he was. “I’m just practicing.”

Now there was something that she didn’t expect. Adrien dropped most of his extracurriculars after the reveal, including the piano. She frowned. Marinette knew that the piano often reminded him of his mother, but. . . .

“Are you okay?” She asked, sitting down beside him so that she too was facing the piano.

Adrien glanced at her. “Why do you ask?”

“ _ Chaton _ ,” Marinette said, a little more forcefully. “Obviously something’s wrong. You’re usually not like this.”

“I. . . .” he seemed hesitant. “I’d rather not talk about it. It’s just. . . . it’s been hard these last couple of weeks. But I’ll be okay, my lady. You don’t have to worry.” Adrien gave her a small smile.

Marinette bit her lip; her heart ached. She hated that she couldn’t be there for him in the way he needed. She supported him in small ways--she allowed him to rant, scream and cry when he felt helpless, she told inside jokes, and even caved into making puns to cheer him up. But that wasn’t what he needed. Right now, what Adrien needed was strong adults in his life. And obviously, she couldn’t give him that.

Marinette took his hand. “You know you can always come over to my place. Stay there permanently, even. My parents wouldn’t mind.”

“I wouldn’t want to bother them,” he said, shaking his head. “Besides, I’ll be eighteen in a couple of months. I’ll get my inheritance--whatever’s left of it, anyway--and I can move out.”

She sighed. “It’s your decision,” she said quietly, “but please don’t keep everything to yourself. You can always talk to me, or anyone else.”

“I know, bugaboo.” He leaned over and gently pressed his lips to her forehead. “And I love you for that.”

She smiled, pulling him down so she could kiss him. “I love you too,” she said as they drew apart.

Adrien cleared his throat and put his hands back on the keys of the piano. “I was playing a little to clear my mind earlier,” he said. “It was one of Mom’s favorites.”

Marinette scooted closer to him. “Can you play it for me?”

A lovely harmony resonated through the room as Adrien’s fingers glided across the keys. It was slow at first, but quickly gaining speed, like the quiet pitter-patter of rain. The notes rose up high with joy, like a flower blooming on the first day of spring. Like the first drop of snow on Christmas morning. And yet, just as soon as they rose, the notes fell,  _ down _ and  _ down _ , dying until there was that one note that made a difference. That one sharp, and quickly the notes let themselves rise again. The melody continued on, and all Marinette could think as she watched Adrien’s gaze find hers, was that  _ this was perfect _ .

Needless to say, she was breathless by the end.

“That was beautiful,” she murmured. All the tension she’d felt earlier had vanished. “I can see why your mother would’ve loved it.”

“She would have liked you, I think,” Adrien said. “It’s a shame you never got to meet her.”

“Yeah,” Marinette agreed, unsure of what else to say.

Suddenly she felt Adrien’s hands take hers and bring them up onto the piano keys. She looked at him, surprised. He just grinned, carefully placing her fingers along the keys. The position felt weird; she couldn’t imagine how anyone managed to play the piano like this.

“What’re you doing?”

“What does it look like, princess? I’m giving you a piano lesson.”

Marinette rolled her eyes affectionately at him, pressing a kiss to his cheek as he explained what to do. The two of them laughed as she got the notes wrong, grinned as she triumphantly managed to play a line without his help, and in the end, were simply content with each other’s company, ending with Marinette’s arm around Adrien’s waist and his around her shoulders.

Things would be okay. Even if the next couple of months were going to be hard, they had each other. And that was all that mattered.


End file.
